Balmoral purchase

[plaid preacher]

Or throw em over your shoulder 😁

Cousin Jack, do you mean, like a continental soldier?

[OC Richard]

I do shudder a bit when the topic of Pakistani or Indian bonnets comes up, because I see things like this all the time



but the GlengarryHats bonnets aren't like that, and the ones I've seen have looked quite passable.

A cool thing about GlengarryHats is that they offer/offered bonnets in a number of unusual colour-combinations that I haven't seen any Scottish maker produce.

I want to get a Balmoral in these colours, combining Navy Blue and Royal Blue.



About the ribbons in the back of a Balmoral, here are my two Mackie hats from the 1980s that I still wear regularly. On my Balmoral I cheated: I removed the ribbon, tied it into a neat bow, and sewed it back on. (This photo was taken to show the different Clan cap badges made especially for each type of hat.)

[Father Bill]

Agreed on the quality.

Re: the ribbons, I did that with my last one. I'm thinking of leaving them for now just for a change.

[Arnot]

I'm thinking of leaving them for now just for a change.

Mine are generally tied, but I got the last one with loose ribbons for a change as well.

[thescot]

Mine are generally tied, but I got the last one with loose ribbons for a change as well.

I only wear my balmorals with the ribbons tied, even though they come with long, untied ribbons that are sewed together about three inches down from the sweat band. I pick the stitches loose, then carefully tie a bow at the back, tightening it to about 2-3 inches between the ends of the loops. (I use the same knot I use when tying a bow tie around my neck.) Then I cut the excess off, the loose ends that are longer than the end of the loops.

THEN I PUT A STITCH THROUGH THE KNOT SO THE THING STAYS THAT WAY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. It is my understanding that the ribbon was originally threaded through the sweat band and used to fit the bonnet to the head of the wearer by tightening it up and than tying it, but that's for another discussion about the history of bonnets and such. Anyway, I came up seeing a bow at the back, and that's how I wear mine.

On a glengarry, I leave the ribbons dangling, or course. That's the way it is supposed to be worn. and besides, it just looks kind of sassy with the ribbons on a glengarry flapping in the breeze or hanging over one's shoulder. Not so much with a bonnet.

I own four glengarrys and four or five bonnets, all a bit different in color, etc., but I tend to wear only the navy or green balmoral or the khaki glengarry. The glens are solid black, black with red/white dicing, and a green that was from one of the old regiments.

Oh,yes, I own a Blackwatch balmoral and a tam, but I don't wear them. I think it would look a bit silly to anyone in the know since I was never in that unit.

I didn't mention the green military-style tams that I like and do wear occasionally in cold weather, but that's another tale, too.

[Arnot]

I only wear my balmorals with the ribbons tied, even though they come with long, untied ribbons that are sewed together about three inches down from the sweat band. I pick the stitches loose, then carefully tie a bow at the back, tightening it to about 2-3 inches between the ends of the loops. (I use the same knot I use when tying a bow tie around my neck.) Then I cut the excess off, the loose ends that are longer than the end of the loops.

THEN I PUT A STITCH THROUGH THE KNOT SO THE THING STAYS THAT WAY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. It is my understanding that the ribbon was originally threaded through the sweat band and used to fit the bonnet to the head of the wearer by tightening it up and than tying it, but that's for another discussion about the history of bonnets and such. Anyway, I came up seeing a bow at the back, and that's how I wear mine.

I only have one with loose ribbons. The rest have tied bows. I know about picking the stitches and tying the bow, but I just ordered them with a bow in the first place. I just adjust the bow if needed and put the stitch in to hold it in place.

[Arnot]

A cool thing about GlengarryHats is that they offer/offered bonnets in a number of unusual colour-combinations that I haven't seen any Scottish maker produce.

I want to get a Balmoral in these colours, combining Navy Blue and Royal Blue.

Robert Mackie will make bonnets like this. I deal with them regularly and have asked them to make unusual combinations of colors with no issues.

[OC Richard]

Robert Mackie will make bonnets like this. I deal with them regularly and have asked them to make unusual combinations of colors with no issues.

Good to know! I hadn't seen a Mackie in those colours, while I did see that very hat offered on GlengarryHats (but I don't see it on their site any more).

[Me cousin Jack]

Cousin Jack, do you mean, like a continental soldier?

i did indeed.